About this project

PLAY CHASM DEMO 1.05!

NOTE: We'd love to do every single goal listed here regardless of the amount raised, but we will be constrained by both time and money. If we don't reach a listed goal, that doesn't necessarily mean it won't be in the game. These targets are just a way to ensure you that it will be in the final copy on release day. We will do everything in our power to get every single one of them in. They are ordered roughly by amount of content & time required, as well as how much longevity they will add to the gameplay.

$160,000 - Extended Soundtrack - A digital double album: one of remixes, the other of demos, out-takes and unused material.

$175,000 - Achievements - Challenging Achievements to obtain in all versions of the game. These won't be awarding you for pressing jump!

$200,000 - Arena Mode - Battle waves of enemies and bosses in an arena for unique items after you complete the main game.

$215,000 - Crafting - Search for long-lost recipes of rare items, and the difficult to obtain ingredients to craft them.

$325,000 - Extra Area - A seventh area added to the main game with its own unique challenges, treasure, and enemies.

$350,000 - Community Choice Mode - Backers vote for their favorite from a selection of game modes by the developers.

The Game

Chasm (pronounced kaz-um) is a 2D Action-RPG Platformer currently in development
for Windows, Mac, & Linux. Taking equal inspiration from hack ‘n slash
dungeon crawlers (procedurally generated dungeons, loot drops, etc) and
Metroidvania-style platformers, the game aims to immerse you in its 2D fantasy
world full of exciting treasure, deadly enemies, and abundant secrets.

We are attempting to create an authentic retro experience similar to the games you remember. Chasm was heavily influenced by games like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid and Diablo. If these games are your style, then this is the game you have been waiting for!

In Chasm, players take up the role of a soldier passing through a
remote mining town on their journey home from a long war. The town’s miners
have recently disappeared after breaching a long-forgotten temple far below the
town, and reawakened an ancient slumbering evil. Now trapped in the town by
supernatural forces, you’re left with no option but to explore the mines below,
battle enemies and bosses, and increase your abilities in hopes of finally
escaping and returning home.

Current and Planned Features

Discover new special abilities and powers to reach previously inaccessible areas

Play how you want by equipping weapons, spellbooks, shields, and more to both hands

Uncover random loot drops and rare items

Battle massive bosses & mini-bosses

Avoid devious traps and platforming hazards

Includes Normal and Hardcore (Scored with Permadeath) Modes

Leaderboards for Hardcore playthroughs featuring quickest time, least damage taken, and more

Windows, Mac, & Linux versions with Gamepad support

Exploring the mines.

Why Kickstarter?

Since James quit his job last year to focus on Discord Games, he has been relying on income from sales of Take Arms to keep the company running. He knew Chasm was a much bigger game than he could afford to make, but thought that if he could do it right, people would see the potential of the idea.

We met our initial goal of a playable demonstration, but funds for development are now depleted. Simply put, this game can not be made without your support. We've been waiting forever for a game like this, but game publishers today just aren't interested in projects like this one. With your support, we will be able to finish the game ourselves and give you a truly amazing experience. Your generous pledges will go towards:

Living Costs: James and Tim still need to eat, pay bills, and afford life-giving coffee while they develop the game.

Paying Artists and Sound Designer: We will need money to pay our wonderful team for their hard work.

Polish and Improvement: Making sure Chasm is a quality, bug-free game with enough time dedicated to it.

Business & Legal Costs: To officially sell the game, we need to keep up with administrative costs and other expenses related to the business.

Access to the Game

Your pledge of $15 or greater will get you a copy of the final game when it’s released. We do not know what will be our primary method of distribution, but regardless, we will give you a DRM-free copy for Windows, Mac and/or Linux. See below for estimated system requirements. We're aiming to be content complete early 2014 and then release the game by May 2014. This is subject to change, and the closed Beta will likely cause delays.

EARLY ACCESS

Pledging $30 or more ($25 for early birds!) will also give you access to our closed Beta. The exact date and details are still uncertain, but we will attempt to start it a couple months before the game is officially released to the public.The game will be highly playable at this phase (at least 90% content complete), but we will still be adding, removing and testing features. As a tester, you will have a direct effect on the game by playing and voicing your opinions and feedback on the private Developer forum. This also includes identifying any performance issues and bugs.

Checking the map for directions.

System Requirements

The requirements are subject to change. Chasm is being developed with older hardware in mind, and shouldn't be too demanding. However, due to how XNA's graphics system works, you will need at least a Pixel Shader 2.0+ capable graphics card. If you have any question of compatibility, please download the demo and try it out for yourself!

OS: Windows (XP/Vista/7), MacOS X, or Linux

Processor: 2ghz+

Memory: 512 MB

Graphics: Pixel Shader Model 2.0+

Finding a hidden fountain.

The Team

James is the founder of Discord Games, and serves as Producer, Game Designer and Programmer on Chasm. His two previous games 48 Chambers and Take Arms were released on Xbox 360 and PC, and have sold over 20,000 copies combined. He quit his corporate office job in 2012 to devote himself solely to the development of Chasm.

Tim has worked on both released Discord Games titles, and served as Lead Programmer on Discord's 2D multiplayer shooter Take Arms. He has been programming for over 10 years as both hobbyist and professional. He will be writing tools for content production in Chasm, as well as advanced engine features and gameplay programming.

Tony has worked as a 2D environment artist on over five released titles in the last two years. While environment art is his specialty, he worked tirelessly to develop Chasm's distinctive visual style. He will be handling the art direction and environment pixel art in Chasm.

Glauber has been working as a 2D game artist since 2004, on more than 30 released games (indie and commercial). His specialties are pixel art and animation, but is also very keen of game design and development. He will be handling sprite animations on Chasm.

Jimi has been writing music, recording and doing audio production for the last 15 years. In addition to his two albums and EP, he also wrote the music for both Discord releases (48 Chambers and Take Arms). He will be handling the music and sound effects in Chasm, as well as assisting with story and script.

Thank you and Follow Our Progress

If you have any questions about the game, please visit the FAQ at the bottom. If
you’d like to reach out to us directly, drop us a line: support@discordgames.com

Risks and challenges

Aside from normal game development risks that affect every project, the biggest risk is if James is suddenly unable to work. Rest assured, he rarely ever leaves his work space, so the chances of being hit by a bus are slim. The game would also not happen if we don’t reach our funding goal.

We have put a lot of time and energy into this game, making something that we feel passionate about. We have done our best to create a realistic schedule and budget for development of the game. In addition, we have estimated every cost related to kickstarter rewards, including shipping and physical items.

We're not sure yet. We're focusing on PC as our primary platform, but are interested in bringing it to anything with a d-pad. Some of these platforms are closed, and we just haven't met the right people yet!

Rewards

Pledge $15 or more

Receive a DRM-free copy of Chasm when it is released on Windows, Mac and Linux ● Exclusive sword "Gildian Blade"

Estimated delivery:May 2014

You selected

Pledge $25 or more

2,499 backers
Limited (1 left of 2500)

EARLY BIRD: All the above rewards ● Early Access ● Access to the private Developer forum to help us improve the game ● Exclusive sword "Vipera Blade" ● A digital copy of the soundtrack ● An extra copy of the finished game for a friend

Estimated delivery:May 2014

You selected

Pledge $30 or more

774 backers

All the above rewards ● Early Access ● Access to the private Developer forum to help us improve the game ● Exclusive sword "Vipera Blade" ● A digital copy of the soundtrack ● An extra copy of the finished game for a friend

Estimated delivery:May 2014

You selected

Pledge $50 or more

945 backers

All the above rewards ● Chasm Compendium PDF (game art, development notes, strategy guide and tabletop gaming module) ● Exclusive Blue Canary familiar to help you ● Exclusive Elven Sword and Necklace ● A thank you in the game's credits

Pledge $500 or more

5 backers
Limited (15 left of 20)

All the above rewards ● One of our talented artists will design a fully-animated pixelized character of you based upon a photo that you send us. You will be e-mailed a digital version to use as your avatar on your favorite social media sites!

Estimated delivery:May 2014

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

Pledge $1,000 or more

5 backers
All gone!

All the above rewards ● Become an NPC (Non-Player Character) in the game. Your animated pixel character from the $500 Tier will be turned into an interactive NPC with your very own line of dialogue. You will await players in a secret tavern hidden in the dungeons of the final game along with the other backers of this reward tier.

Estimated delivery:May 2014

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

Pledge $2,500 or more

1 backer
Limited (2 left of 3)

All the above rewards ● Work with us to design your very own enemy that will appear in the final game. You will have the chance to work directly with the development team and bring your own creation to life!

Estimated delivery:May 2014

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

Pledge $5,000 or more

0 backers
Limited (1 left of 1)

All the above rewards (minus appearing in the dungeon tavern) ● Become a legend in the world of Chasm and receive your own shrine hidden somewhere in the depths. Your pixelized NPC will sit upon a golden throne, speak multiple lines of custom dialogue, and bestow a special blessing of your choosing upon players lucky enough to find you.

Estimated delivery:May 2014

Ships anywhere in the world

Funding period

Apr 12, 2013 - May 12, 2013
(30 days)

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